Foodways are a study or example of a culture of a people through their dietary habits. A foodway is not only the things people do and do not eat, but why they eat them or not, not to mention the traditions and history that help define that culture.

The foodways of the Cajun people involve eating seafood in season and not drinking milk with seafood. For Hungarians, the use of pork, cabbage and paprika are common symbols of their ethnic foodways. Orthodox Jews' foodways vary from that of their less restrictive brethren, but traditionally, Jewish foodways are related to the religion's dietary laws or kashrut kosher. A foodway may not be something that a person is aware of practicing, it can be so ingrained in their habits that it is simply a way of life.

The culinary practices of a region or culture, historical and popular. Foodways include discussions of procurement, preparation, and consumption of food. They focus on cultural origins, taste and nutrition.

To make "maple smoked bacon", Broadbent Country Hams in Kentucky smoke their bacon with maple dust, to infuse maple flavor in their bacon. This is an example of one of the traditional Southern Foodways.